McLeod Slip On Bearing W/Elbow Fittings And Adj Screw Zf& Lt T56

If you are rebuilding the clutch on a 1993-1997 LT1 Camaro Z28 or Firebird Formula or Trans Am with the T56 six-speed, or you are upgrading from the factory release setup, the McLeod 1400-22 is the hydraulic throwout bearing many builders reach for. It replaces a slave cylinder and separate release bearing with a single billet unit that slips over the transmission's front bearing retainer. People usually land on this part after chasing a clutch that will not fully release, grinding going into gear at a stop, a squeal with the pedal pressed, or a slave that keeps leaking.

What the hydraulic throwout bearing does on a T56

On these cars the clutch is released hydraulically: the pedal pushes a master cylinder, and fluid pressure moves a piston that presses the release bearing into the pressure plate fingers. The McLeod 1400 series puts that piston and the bearing in one housing that sits on the T56 front collar, so there is no fork or pivot to wear. McLeod describes the 1400 series as self-adjusting, so pedal feel stays the same as the disc wears, and the housing is hard-anodized billet aluminum fed by elbow swivel fittings and high-pressure stainless braided lines. The 1400-22 is the version with a 1.310 in. adjuster, which sets the bearing's installed height so you can get the correct air gap between the bearing face and the clutch fingers. Summit lists it for a 1-1/8 in. input shaft.

Symptoms that point to a release bearing or slave problem

• Squeal or chirp that starts when you press the pedal and stops when you release it
• Clutch drags: grinds going into first or reverse at a stop, or the car creeps with the pedal down
• Pedal that sinks, feels soft, or has to be pumped to release
• Fluid loss from the master reservoir with no external leak at the master, a sign the slave is leaking inside the bellhousing
• Clutch that engages very high or very low on the pedal after a clutch change

Grinding into gear can also come from worn T56 synchronizers rather than the clutch. If the grind happens on upshifts while moving and the clutch releases fully, the gearbox is the suspect; our T56 5th and reverse synchronizer ring covers one of the common wear points.

How to confirm before you buy

With the engine running and the car in neutral, press the clutch slowly. A noise that appears only with the pedal down points to the release bearing. Next, with the pedal held down, select reverse: a grind means the clutch is not releasing. Check the master reservoir level and look for fluid at the bellhousing drain area or the bottom of the bellhousing. If you are weighing whether to fix the clutch side now or plan for a bigger gearbox job, our guide to automatic vs. manual transmission repair cost lays out what manual clutch and gearbox work typically involves.

Fitment

Summit lists McLeod 1400-22 for the 1993-1997 LT1 F-body with the T56 (Camaro Z28 and Firebird Formula and Trans Am, engine VIN code P) and notes that it fits LT1 applications only and is not for counterweight-assist pressure plates. The listing title also mentions ZF, but McLeod catalogs a separate ZF-transmission version of this bearing, so do not order this one for a ZF six-speed. The 1998-2002 LS1 cars and later GM T56 applications also use different McLeod part numbers, and GM sells a factory T56 concentric slave cylinder if you want to stay with an OE-style unit. When in doubt, send us the year, engine and transmission tag and we will confirm before it ships. More gearbox hard parts are in our hard parts category.

Install notes

• Install the clutch, pressure plate and flywheel first, and replace the pilot bearing while you are in there; an OEMTOOLS pilot bearing puller makes that easy.
• Before the transmission goes in, measure from the bellhousing face to the clutch fingers and from the bellhousing face to the bearing face, then set the adjuster to McLeod's clearance from the instruction sheet. Too little gap preloads the bearing and wears it out; too much costs release travel.
• Route the braided lines so they cannot touch the flywheel or exhaust, and bleed the bearing through its bleeder before the transmission is bolted up if possible.
• Fill with the brake fluid type marked on your clutch master reservoir and bleed until the pedal is firm.

Will the McLeod 1400-22 fit a 1998-2002 LS1 Camaro?

Summit's application list ties this part to the 1993-1997 LT1 T56 cars and notes it fits LT1 applications only. LS1 F-bodies use a different release setup, so confirm with us before ordering for an LS1 car.

Does it work with a ZF six-speed?

Not this version. McLeod catalogs a separate ZF-transmission bearing with the same 1.310 in. adjuster. The 1400-22 is the T56 LT1 version.

What does the 1.310 inch adjuster mean?

It is the length of the adjuster that sets the bearing's installed height. McLeod offers the 1400 series with several adjuster lengths so the bearing can be set to the correct clearance for different bellhousing and clutch stack-ups.

Can I use it with a counterweight-assist pressure plate?

No. Summit's listing states this bearing is not for use with counterweight-assist pressure plates.

Do I need to adjust it as the clutch wears?

No. McLeod describes the 1400 series as self-adjusting. You set the installed clearance once during install, and the bearing follows the clutch fingers as the disc wears.

• Automatic vs. Manual Transmission Repair Cost: What to Actually Expect